Improvement in fire-escapes



W; P. SHEETS. FIRE-ESC-APES.

Patented Aug. 21,1877.

WlTNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIoE.

WILLIAM P. SHEETS, OF PRINCETON, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [94,474, dated August 21, 1877; application filed July 10, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SHEETs, of Princeton, in the county of Mercer, and in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Bed-Bottom and Fire-Escape; and do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a combined bed-bottom and fire-escape, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detailed views of parts thereof.

A represents an ordinary bedstead, having bars B B. extending on the inside along all four sides, and on these bars are inserted pins a a at suitable intervals. The bed-bottom is composed of a chain made of a series of links, U C, united together, as shown, each link being bent to form a center bar, on which is placed a roller, D, and the arms of the links running parallel, or nearly parallel, and the ends of one turned around the cross-bar of the adjoining one at the ends of the roller. One end of this chain is permanently attached to the center of one of the side rails of the bedstead, as seen in Fig. 2, and the chain then carried diagonally to one corner of the bedstead, and placed over the pins a a, after which it is carried back and forth crosswise and then lengthwise of the bed, forming, when thus fastened, a complete bed-bottom. At the point where the chain or ladder turns from the diagonal line to straight across the link of the chain is formed an open loop, 12, and where the various turns are made links d d are interposed to make it fold easily.

G G represent strips of metal hinged over the bars B to fold over the pins on a and profeet the bed-clothes from being torn.

In case of fire the bed-clothes are to be thrown off the bed, and the chainladder can be easily unfolded and thrown out of the window. Being permanently attached to the bedstead it is, of course, securely fastened, and needs no further fastening.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bed-bottom formed of a chain-ladder having one end permanently attached to the bedstead, and strung back and forth, and capable of being used as a fire-escape, as herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a bedstead, of the bars B with pins a, ladder O D, and hinged strips G, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of June, 1877.

WM. P. SHEETS. Witnesses:

J EssE TRAPP, W. W. BRIsTOW. 

